Although there are many interpretations possible for "Hero of the People," in the Soviet Union it was reserved for those awarded the "Hero of the Soviet Union," awarded for personal heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. Established in 1934, it was usually given for heroic military service (over 11,000 awarded during World War II alone); it has also been given to party officials, cosmonauts, researchers and the occasional foreigner for service to the state. By the 1970s, the "Hero of the People" was greatly devalued when it began to be given to bureaucrats and military officers on an anniversary of long-service rather than any specific act of heroism; nonetheless, the award served the political order by setting a goal for personal achievement within the Communist state.